Europe stuvac seminars southern turkey trails trip highligh ts Unique landscapes of Cappadocia including Red Valley and White Valley Spectacular Lycian Coast Dramatic coastal waters of Oludeniz Lagoon Half day cruise to Kekova Islands along the Mediterranean coast Istanbul Trip Duration 15 days Trip Code: SOG2283 Grade Introductory Activities Adventure Touring, Day Walking and Cruising Accommodation 15 day trip, 9 day walks and 14 nights hotels welcome to why travel with World Expeditions? We combine the historical and natural highlights of two of Turkey’s World Expeditions special regions in the company of a guide whose knowledge and Thank you for your interest in our Turkey on Foot trip. At World passion for Turkey will add a unique dimension to your trip. Their Expeditions we are passionate about our off the beaten track experience and enthusiasm ensures that we maintain the leading edge experiences as they provide our travellers with the thrill of coming in adventure travel and therefore providing excellent value for money. face to face with untouched cultures as well as wilderness regions We take every precaution to ensure smooth logistics, our vehicles and of great natural beauty. We are committed to ensuring that our equipment are the best available on the market. Most importantly, unique itineraries are well researched, affordable and tailored for the our adventures have always sought to benefit the local peoples we enjoyment of small groups or individuals ‑ philosophies that have interact with, safeguard the ecosystems we explore and contribute to been at our core since 1975 when we began operating adventure the sustainability of travel in the regions we experience. Given our local holidays. Our itineraries will give you the very best travel experience, knowledge, experience and excellent leadership, we are quite sure that designed by people with incredible local knowledge who share our this tour will be a trip of a lifetime and a fantastic adventure. vision of authentic exchange and real exploration with a responsible tourism approach. Whether you like your adventures to include trekking, touring, cycling, mountaineering, kayaking or cruising World Expeditions can make it happen for you. We hope you will join us for a life changing experience!! 1 – © 2014 Australian World Expeditions Pty Limited ‑ Rachel Imber 1/6/2014 4:24:39 PM stuvac seminars Bulgaria southern turkey trails Istanbul A guided walking trip combining Cappadocia with the coastal Lycian Way Turkey Kayseri Cappadocia Antalya Fethiye Kaş Syria trip dates the trip For walkers interested in exploring two of Turkeys’ most special natural and historic regions important notes this itinerary will not fail to inspire. Taking in the wonders of Istanbul, we head into the country’s interior to the fascinating Cappodocia region where a series of day walks will For competitive airfares and stopover ideas uncover a treasure trove of sights. These include ancient churches & monasteries from the to join this adventure, contact our expert staff Byzantine era and elaborate underground cities. Amongst these relics is a living culture today to receive a detailed quote. of traditional villages and river valleys but the region is best known for the unique rock formations and chimneys manicured by old civilizations to carve out houses and churches. The next stage of our journey centres around the beautiful township of Fethiye with day walks along various sections of the Lycian Way. This rugged mountain region offers splendid views, archaeological sites dating back to the 8th century BC and interesting villages with their unique Lycian flavour. In the company of our expert local guide these very different regions of Turkey promise a fascinating window into the country’s rich and varied history. DAY 1 ARRIVE ISTANBUL DAY 2 ISTANBUL, THEN FLY TO KAYSERI DAY 3 IN CAPPADOCIA – CAVUSIN, PASABAGLARI VALLEY, ZELVE MONASTERY, AKVADI (WHITE VALLEY) & UCHISAR CITADEL (10KMS TOTAL, 4 ‑ 5 HRS WALKING) DAY 4 GOREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM, MESKENDIR VALLEY, RED & ROSE VALLEY, CAVUSIN AND AVANOS (9KM, 4 HOURS) DAY 5 DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND CITY, IHLARA VALLEY & SELIME MONASTERY (14KM, 4‑5 HOURS) DAY 6 UZENGI & PANCARLIK VALLEYS, ORTAHISAR AND AFTERNOON AT LEISURE IN URGUP & GOREME (6KM, 3 HOURS) DAY 7 DRIVE TO ANTALYA VIA KONYA DAY 8 FLAMES OF CHIMAIRA, OPTIONAL WALK TO OLYMPOS (9KMS, 2HRS; + OPTIONAL 2KMS) DAY 9 DAY WALK LYCIAN WAY (18KMS, 5 HRS) DAY 10 HALF DAY BOAT TOUR KEKOVA ISLAND DAY 11 PINARA, SAKLIKENT CANYON, FETHIYE (12KMS, 4 ‑ 5 HRS) DAY 12 DAY WALK LYCIAN WAY (10KMS, 4 HRS) DAY 13 BUTTERFLY VALLEY, KABAK (8KMS, 4 HRS) DAY 14 OLUDENIZ DAY 15 TRIP CONCLUDES what’s included 14 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 12 dinners Good 3 star hotels on a twin share basis Flight Istanbul/Cappadocia valued at €120 Private air conditioned vehicle English speaking guide Half-day boat tour Ucagiz/Kekova Simena Sunken City Arrival transfer (Ataturk International Airport only) on Day 1 only Departure transfer (Dalaman Airport only) on Day 15 only Site entrance fees as mentioned in the itinerary DAY 1 Arrive Istanbul If you are arriving on Day 1 you will be met at the airport in Istanbul and transferred to the group hotel for overnight accommodation. You will meet your guide in teh late afternoon and have a trip briefing before heading out to dinner. Remainder of day at leisure. meals: NIL 2 – © 2014 Australian World Expeditions Pty Limited ‑ Rachel Imber 1/6/2014 4:24:39 PM stuvac seminars southern turkey trails A guided walking trip combining Cappadocia with the coastal Lycian Way DAY 2 Istanbul, then fly to Kayseri Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, was the hub of the Ottoman Empire, and many of the grand buildings of this period are present today. You could easily spend a week in this city and still not have seen all the sites. Today we will explore the old Sultanahmet Area. We will visit the Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome square (obelisks), the Basilica Cistern, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. In the late afternoon or early evening we will drive to the airport and fly to Kayseri. From Kayseri, we will drive to our group hotel in Cappadocia. meals: B DAY 3 In Cappadocia – Cavusin, Pasabaglari Valley, Zelve Monastery, Akvadi (White Valley) & Uchisar Citadel (10kms total, 4 - 5 hrs walking) We will start our walking today in the serene Meskendir Valley. We follow a path honeycombed with cave houses and complexes from ancient Christian civilisations before crossing to the Red Valley. This is the most beautiful and scenic valley in Cappadocia and is known for its fascinating formations and colours. There are many interesting structures including the Church of the Three Crosses which was carved out of the cliff face during the 7th century. Its decorative reliefs and frescoes were added later, in the 10th and 11th centuries. The existence of these ancient reliefs in the present day is remarkable. From the Red Valley we continue our walk to Cavusin, one of the earliest Christian villages in Cappadocia. After lunch we enjoy walking along the Pasabaglari terrace with its amazing rock-formed fairy chimneys. Optional Activity: Turkish bath (Hamam) In the early evening it is optional possible to try a traditional Turkish bath, better known as Hamam. The Hamam combines the functionality and the structural elements of its predecessors in Anatolia, the Roman thermal and Eastern Roman baths, with the central Asian Turkish tradition of steam bathing, ritual cleansing and respect of water. It is also known that Arabs built versions of the Greek- Roman baths that they encountered following their conquest of Alexandria in Egypt. However, the Turkish bath has improved style and functionality that emerged as annex buildings of mosques or as re-use of the Eastern Roman baths. meals: B,L,D DAY 4 Goreme open air Museum, Meskendir Valley, Red & Rose Valley, Cavusin and Avanos (9km, 4 hours) In the morning we start today’s first activity and walk out to explore one of the most beautiful valleys in Cappadocia. The Christian people at the heart of the Cappadocia realized that the soft rocks could be easily carved out to form houses, churches and monasteries. These Christian sanctuaries contain many examples of Byzantine art from the post iconoclastic period. The frescoes inside the Goreme Open Air Museum are a unique artistic achievement from this period. After visiting the Goreme open air Museum we start our walking in the Meskendir Valley. We follow the path which is full with old Cave houses and complexes from the old Christian civilization. From the Meskendir Valley we cross over to the Red Valley, the most beautiful valley in Cappadocia with its spectacular formations and colours. In Red Valley it is possible, depending on walking pace and time, to visit some hidden churches like the Uzumlu church (Grape church / Red Valley), the hidden Cross Church and the Church of the Three Crosses (Rose Valley). These churches have been carved out of the cliff face, although it is not definite, the common believe is that these churches date back to the 8/9th century. The decorative reliefs and frescoes are added in the 10/11th Century. After walking through the Red and Rose valleys we will arrive in Cavusin, where our vehicle is waiting for us. Afterwards we take time to visit Avanos. meals: B,L,D DAY 5 Derinkuyu underground city, Ihlara Valley & Selime Monastery (14km, 4-5 hours) Today we drive to Ihlara, on the way it is possible to visit incredible underground city of Derinkuyu. Derinkuyu Underground city was opened to visitors in 1965, but only 10 % of the city can be visited. The city is approximately 85m deep and contains all of the usual rooms found in an underground 3 – © 2014 Australian World Expeditions Pty Limited ‑ Rachel Imber 1/6/2014 4:24:39 PM stuvac seminars southern turkey trails A guided walking trip combining Cappadocia with the coastal Lycian Way fast facts city, stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches and wineries.